Ashton Scott

His brows lift. “You think I got away with it last night?”

“Well, no, but—”

Ashton cuts me off by backing me up against the wall and gripping my waist with both hands. “No buts, Lorelei,” he growls. “I fucked up last night, and I didn’t get away with it. I respect you standing up for yourself, but just so you’re aware, it was the longest fucking night of my life. I’ve never wanted anyone like I want you. To not know where your head was at, fucked with my head, and I never want to go through that again. Promise me we won’t.”

My legs go weak at the passion blaring from him, and at his honesty and willingness to lay himself bare like this. Taking hold of his face, I nod. “I promise I won’t do that to us again.”

His eyes search mine for what feels like forever before he finally lets out a breath that sounds like it’s been trapped for a long time. “Thank fuck.”

42

Ashton

“You’re in a better mood tonight than you were this morning,” Jack says over a drink that night.

He called and asked me to meet him at this bar after work. I could hear in his voice that this was important to him, so instead of arguing about his drinking, I agreed.

I take a drink of the whisky sitting in front of me. “That’s because I fixed things with Lorelei.”

“Does that mean you told her how concerned you are about the Shandwick deal?”

“No, it means I’m still looking into that. For now, I’ve apologised and just left it, but I’m certain I’ll need to bring it up again soon.”

“You really think it’s a shady dea

l?”

“I do.”

“I hope you’re wrong for Lorelei’s sake.”

“I’m not wrong, Jack. All I can hope now is that she can get out of it by the time I make her see what’s going on.”

He throws some whisky down his throat. “I saw Cassia at the café near your work today. Couldn’t get away from her. She went on and on about how good your parents are to her. Are they that close now?”

I squeeze my whisky glass. “Apparently so. She’s there every time I visit Mum.”

“What’s going on with her?”

“I don’t know, and I don’t want to know.”

“Did I ever tell you I don’t like that woman?”

I chuckle. “Only every opportunity you got.”

He grins. “And you chose never to listen to me. Maybe when it comes to Lorelei you’ll listen to me.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “I thought you liked Lorelei.”

“Oh, I do, and that’s why you need to listen to me. I’m concerned you’re going to fuck it up with her otherwise.”

“How would I fuck it up?”

“Let me count the ways. The Willow Street plans you have. Your need to take control of her and everything she does. There’s probably a hundred other things you’ll do, but these are the main ones.”

“I’m not trying to control her. I’m trying to help her. There’s a difference.” I ignore the reference to the Willow Street development. We’ve already discussed that, and as far as I’m concerned, he’s wrong.

“We’re going to have to agree to disagree, Ashton. But just don’t screw things up. I like that woman.”